Easy Homemade Apple Cinnamon Waffles

For an irresistible start to your day, my easy homemade Apple Cinnamon Waffles are packed with grated apple and fragrant cinnamon. The addition of rich brown butter makes them feel oh so decadent!

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What's better than waking up to the smell of waffles? Waking up to the smell of Apple Cinnamon Waffles! Fresh apples mixed into a brown sugar batter, with a hint of cinnamon, make every bite taste like Fall. Plus, there’s a special ingredient—brown butter—that adds a nutty richness that takes these delicious waffles over the top.

With a few simple ingredients and a good waffle iron, you can have a delicious breakfast ready in no time. Whether you're making a big batch of homemade waffles for a Holiday brunch, cooking for the whole family or just treating yourself, these apple waffles are the perfect Fall breakfast.

Ingredients & Substitutions

If you don't have all of the ingredients to make these cinnamon apple waffles, go get them, because you don't want to miss out. That being said, I have a few substitutes listed below. I just want you to be happy. Good apple waffles will do that.

• All-purpose flour - I have not tried making these delicious apple waffles with gluten free flour, but waffles are one of the few breakfast items that I have had fairly good luck using gluten-free flour before. If you try it, let me know in the comments how it goes!
• Brown sugar - if you don't have brown sugar, feel free to substitute with plain white sugar or even confectioners sugar. If you still want that deep, rich, fall flavor, try adding teaspoon of molasses to the batter.
• Greek yogurt - Greek yogurt is a wonderful addition to waffles, adding a little tang while helping to make fluffy waffles. If you don't have it, you can use plain yogurt, or buttermilk.
• Milk - It is mostly here to dilute the Greek yogurt so that the waffle batter is thick but not stodgy. My preference is for whole milk, full dairy. But if you want to use a lower fat or a non-dairy milk that would work too. 
• Apple - Your whatever type of apple you prefer. I really like honeycrisp, but granny smith apples are another good choice.
• Cinnamon - If you don't like cinnamon apples, or can't eat cinnamon, feel free to leave it out. The brown sugar will do the heavy lifting of making the apples sing. If you want to add even more flavor, feel free to use apple pie spice or pumpkin spice (try my pumpkin spice pancakes too!) or make my chai waffles with added apples.

See recipe card below for exact measurements.

Variations

I mean, this apple cinnamon waffles recipe is one of my new favorite things, but here are a few ways that you can play with your Apple waffles:

• Tropical - Add my bananas foster sauce to the top for a tropical vibe.
• Nutty - Toasted walnuts or pecans would be a great addition.
• Overnight decadence- Make the recipe, but use my crispy yeast waffles as a base. Just substitute with brown sugar and let sit overnight. In the morning fold in the grated apples when you add the eggs. 

Equipment: Waffle iron

Do the kids still call them waffle irons these days or is my age showing? Okay look... to make this waffle recipe you kinda need a waffle maker. For years I had great luck, and great waffle memories, with my old reliable Black and Decker Waffle maker. It's less than $25 and really gets the job done.

That being said, seeing as I am a waffle connoisseur, a master of waffle recipes, after about 20 years I upgraded to the big guns. I got an All Clad Stainless Steel Belgian Waffle Maker that I absolutely adore. It's also the one that Ina Garten uses. Just saying.

Instructions

I really like to make these waffles with brown butter. I just feel like it adds a depth of flavor that perfectly complements the cinnamon and the brown sugar and makes the apples taste more like… apples. That being said, if you don't want to make brown butter you don't have to. No one is watching. Just use melted butter and move on with your life. You will be fine. But if you're feeling adventurous, give it a try. But caution: once you go brown butter, you never go back.

• Prep: Preheat oven to 250°. Place a wire baking rack in a sheet pan and set in oven. Your waffles will rest here as you finish cooking each one. 

Step 1: To make brown butter, melt 4 tablespoons butter in a pan over medium heat. Swirl the pan continuously until the butter turns golden brown and smells nutty, then remove it from the heat. Immediately add 1 tablespoon of cold butter and allow it to melt. This will stop the brown butter from burning. Set aside to cool.

Step 2: Peel your apple. Grate it on the large holes of your box grater. If you don't have a grater, use finely chopped apple.

Step 3: Combine flour, cornstarch, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Set dry ingredients aside.

Step 4: In a large bowl, whisk milk, yogurt, eggs, and vanilla extract.

Step 5: Add flour mixture to the wet ingredients to the and stir until halfway combined.

Step 6: Drizzle in your cooled brown butter while continuing to mix.

Step 7: Fold in grated apple. Let batter rest for 10 minutes while you heat up your waffle maker to your preferred setting.

Step 8: Pour about ½ cup of batter onto preheated waffle maker, or the amount of batter suggested by your waffle maker's directions. Close lid of waffle iron and cook to manufacturer instructions, or about 4-5 minutes.

For extra crispy waffles (see note below for a deep dive): Transfer cooked waffles to the wire rack and keep warm in the preheated oven as you cook the rest. Repeat to cook the remaining waffles.

Serve with a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar, a pat of butter, and a drizzle of maple syrup. Garnish with fresh apple slices.

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